Kevin Duffy: Mariano embraces classic All-Star moment

Updated 12:57 am, Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Photo: Frank Franklin II, Associated Press

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American League’s Mariano Rivera, of the New York Yankees, acknowledges the crowd as he is introduced during the eighth inning of the MLB All-Star baseball game, on Tuesday, July 16, 2013, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

American League’s Mariano Rivera, of the New York Yankees, acknowledges the crowd as he is introduced during the eighth inning of the MLB All-Star baseball game, on Tuesday, July 16, 2013, in New York. (AP

American League All-Star Mariano Rivera #42 of the New York Yankees acknowledges the crowd in the eigth inning during the 84th MLB All-Star Game on July 16, 2013 at Citi Field in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images) less

American League All-Star Mariano Rivera #42 of the New York Yankees acknowledges the crowd in the eigth inning during the 84th MLB All-Star Game on July 16, 2013 at Citi Field in the Flushing neighborhood of ... more

Photo: Mike Ehrmann, Getty Images

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New York Yankees pitcher and American League All-Star Mariano Rivera tips his cap to the crowd in the eighth inning of the MLB All-Star Game at Citi Field in New York, July 16, 2013. (Suzy Allman/The New York Times) less

New York Yankees pitcher and American League All-Star Mariano Rivera tips his cap to the crowd in the eighth inning of the MLB All-Star Game at Citi Field in New York, July 16, 2013. (Suzy Allman/The New York ... more

Photo: Suzy Allman, New York Times

Kevin Duffy: Mariano embraces classic All-Star moment

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NEW YORK -- Before he made his autograph rounds, before he took the mound as an All-Star one last time, Mariano Rivera had to help the kids.

Not the 39 first-time All-Stars, most of whom were playing T-ball when Rivera made his major league debut in 1995.

No, he had to make sure his own kids were squared away for Tuesday night.

Two of his sons, Jaziel and Jafet, stood with Rivera at his locker, the family changing into their respective No. 42 uniforms.

"Is mine on right?" Jafet asked Rivera, who straightened the jersey and tucked it in.

This would be the final time that the Rivera boys would join dad at an All-Star game, the last time they'd roam the outfield for flyballs during All-Star batting practice.

It was sure to be emotional, right?

"I don't know," Rivera said in the hours preceding the midsummer classic. "Right now, it's not. In the moment, I don't know."

The moment came, unexpectedly, in the eighth, the American League holding a 3-0 lead. It came early because Rivera had to get in this game. He absolutely had to. And if the NL had -- somehow -- put up four runs in the ninth, Rivera would have been nothing more than a spectator.

Instead, he was the most valuable player. The game, a 3-0 AL victory, was short on a dominant MVP performance, so it was only natural to award Rivera. The 43-year old entered as the set-up man, retiring three straight first-time All-Stars, Jean Segura, Allen Craig and Carlos Gomez.

In his last appearance, he became the second Yankee to win All-Star MVP.

"It's an honor," Rivera said. "I'm proud to be a member of the New York Yankees, and to be able to do it for this city and to do it the way I have. All I have to say is thank God for that."

Before Tuesday, Rivera's farewell tour had consisted of so many ceremonies, yet little outward reaction from the eventual Hall of Famer. In every city he's visited, there's been some sort of commemoration: The Indians framed a gold record of Metallica's "Enter Sandman," the Twins presented him with a rocking chair made of broken bats, the A's gave him a surfboard and a bottle of wine.

Save for a meeting in Kansas City with the Bressette family, who lost their 10-year-old son, Luke, in an airport accident, there haven't been many emotional moments. Just lots of autographs.

"They know it's my last year, so I can't escape from that one," he added with a laugh.

Rather than getting all sappy, Rivera often prefers to talk about "doing his job." Tuesday, he simply hoped the young guys would do their job, leaving him a chance to do his.

After Mike Trout doubled on the very first pitch, after Matt Harvey pegged Robinson Cano with a 96-mile-and-hour fastball, things settled. And then the AL did its job: Miguel Cabrera doubled and scored in the fourth, and Adam Jones followed suit in the fifth. For insurance, Jason Kipnis scored Salvador Perez on an RBI ground rule double in the eight, building a 3-0 advantage.

"I think it would be probably the most beautiful touch in the world," AL Manager Jim Leyland said Monday, "if we get a lead on the National League and play the ninth inning with the greatest closer of all time coming out of the bullpen."

It wasn't quite the most beautiful touch, but it was pretty damn close.

Rivera emerged from the bullpen, "Enter Sandman" blaring on the Citi Field speakers, not a single body on the field. He stood alone, in a historic moment, waving his cap for a solid minute to a mass ovation: Mets fans, Yankees fans, Red Sox fans, hot dog vendors -- they all stood.

They all recognized greatness, that there may not be another athlete -- seriously, in any sport, ever -- so dominant at one specific assignment.

Rivera, named to 13 All-Star teams, entered Tuesday with eight appearances, zero earned runs and zero walks against the national league, according to BaseballNation.com.

He left with the perfect numbers still intact.

"A hundred years could go by before there's another Mariano Rivera," Red Sox slugger David Ortiz told reporters Monday. "Amazing pitcher, incredible human being. The game is going to miss him."

As Mets manager Terry Collins put it, "Anybody who's ever had a chance to be on the same field as Rivera is an honor. He's going to go down as the greatest there ever was." That would have been true if he retired three All-Star appearances ago.

Or if he retired after last year's ACL tear. But that wouldn't have fit the script, wouldn't have allowed for the lasting memory, his three sons and wife accompanying him for the MVP presentation.

"There was nothing I had to accomplish," Rivera said before the game. "I didn't have nothing to prove to no one. But I didn't want to leave the game the way I was.